Am I Being Paid Fairly? Seeking Advice on Minimum Wage Compliance in Delhi

I am an associate trainee with an HR outsourcing firm based in Hyderabad, currently pursuing an MBA in HR. My stipend and workplace are Rs. 6500 and in Delhi, respectively. I am in a six-month probation period.

Question About Minimum Wage Compliance

My question is whether what I am receiving is correct. As per the minimum wage in Delhi, I believe it is not right. Don't you think? Should I directly ask my company why I am receiving less than the Delhi minimum wage? I would be highly obliged if you could suggest how I can deal with this situation.

Regards and thanks in advance,
Vijay

I am with an HR outsourcing firm based in Hyderabad as an associate trainee while pursuing an MBA in HR. My stipend and workplace are ₹6500 and Delhi, respectively. I am on a six-month probation period.

Question About Stipend and Minimum Wage

My question is whether what I am receiving is right or not because, according to Delhi's minimum wage, I think it isn't right. Don't you think? Should I ask my company directly why I am receiving less than the Delhi minimum wage? I would be highly obliged if you could suggest to me how I can deal with this situation.

Regards and thanks in advance,
Vijay

Hello to all,

I work with an HR outsourcing firm based in Hyderabad as an associate trainee while pursuing an MBA in HR. My stipend and workplace are ₹6500 and Delhi, respectively. I am currently on a six-month probation period.

Question on Stipend and Minimum Wage

My question is whether what I am receiving is right because according to Delhi's minimum wage, I believe it isn't. Don't you think so? Should I ask my company directly why I am receiving less than Delhi's minimum wage? I would be highly obliged if you could suggest how I can deal with this situation.

Regards and thanks in advance,
Vijay

First of all, congratulations on gaining your first work exposure. I also appreciate the insightful points that you have raised.

As per the provisions of the Apprentice Act, 1961, since you are yet to be awarded the degree of MBA and in case you do not have any previous diploma in HR, you cannot be considered an "Apprentice Trainee," nor can you be paid a "stipend" in lieu of salary. Also, check whether your employer is registered under the regional board of practical training. If they are not, your organization cannot designate you as a "Trainee," and all statutory requirements like Minimum Wage, PF, ESIC, etc., must be complied with.

Now, please review your offer letter to see if it states that your engagement with the establishment is as a project trainee as part of your academics. Sometimes, such engagements may not comply with statutory regulations, even though the enactments do not restrict covering cases like yours with the lawful dues of employment.

Secondly, handle your seniors in this situation delicately. Instead of bursting out with claims, try to address the issue with consolidated arguments that are rich in content.

I hope this helps in addressing your concerns. Feel free to ask for any further clarification or assistance.

Regards

I picked it up during the early stages of my profession: "When you are young, work to learn, not to earn."

The technical details have been covered by my friend above; I'm just covering the intellectual aspect. Money is just a by-product, and it is going to come eventually. Right now, what you should be focused on is enriching experience from your firsthand exposure.

In fact, I would like you to discuss with your college seniors from the early batches. You'll be amazed by the number of them who were never paid for their internships because the market conditions were such that companies found it costly to even have free interns.

P.S.:
1. The details you've mentioned are not conclusive, i.e., your nature of work, or the profile, or JD.
2. I've considered your financial support as stable.

Hi, I agree with your point of view that I should focus on gaining experience rather than money. However, I really want to know if, according to Delhi's minimum wage, we can raise a question if we are receiving less than the stipulated wage.

Job Description and Responsibilities

My nature of work in the company is permanent, and the JD is as follows: working on recruitment, maintaining the employee database, conducting payroll audits, salary disbursement, preparing manpower salaries, manpower planning, managing attendance, supporting the senior HR associate, and other assignments as required by the company. The roles mentioned above, which I perform in my company right now, can change according to the company’s demands.

Regards.